EU’s habit of ignoring inconvenient votes

It’s now approaching the third anniversary of the referendum vote in 2016, the largest exercise in democracy this country has seen, and how have the EU, UK politicians and the UK establishment responded? Exactly as many who voted for Brexit feared they would.

To be fair to the EU, they have done what they have always done when faced by a democratic vote by European people they don’t like.

They either circumvent or fudge the issues they face, and with the help of the various national governments and most of the national media in a country they overturn or even ignore the original vote made by the people.

In 1992 Denmark voted against Maastricht; after some opt-outs and a second referendum they accepted the treaty.

In 2001 Ireland rejected the Nice Treaty and a year later with some added caveats the treaty was passed.

In 2005 France and Holland voted down the EU constitution – this gets repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty and, guess what, the people of France and Holland didn’t get a second vote on that one – so the EU carries on its merry way.

Ireland actually did get to vote on Lisbon and said no – but hey-ho, let them have a rethink in 2009 to get it passed.

In 2015 the Greek people rejected via a referendum the bail-out conditions imposed by the EU – literally a few days later their government signs up to the austerity package imposed as part of the deal.

In 2016 61% of Dutch voters said no to association agreement between the EU and Ukraine – 12 months later the Dutch parliament voted it through and then they ban advisory referendums altogether.

It seems the UK is a bit of a harder nut to crack for the EU as we approach the third anniversary and so perhaps the pending extension they hope will help push us to the four-year mark as they continue to try to beat down into submission the original vote so the UK says it’s too hard, too divisive or too difficult.

When we look at how the EU behaves, many who voted Brexit know we made the right decision and would do so again.

For the EU, our current politicians and all those who live in the media bubble, this is not going to go away.

There is real anger out there.

Even if they stop Brexit for now and steal the people’s democratic vote, as a country we have crossed the Brexit Rubicon; we can’t turn the clock back.

This is not just about leaving the EU, now it’s a matter of defending democracy.

Gary Briscombe

Cardiff

The weakness of referenda revealed

I believe that it is worrying that the debates in Parliament that have followed the Brexit vote are seen by some people as being a discredit to that institution as a law-making body.

In fact the events that followed the referendum have followed a pattern that was forecast during the campaign.

There was a lack of scrutiny of arguments that were being put forward.

In effect Parliament was then given the task of passing legislation that had not been effectively scrutinised and was playing “catch up” in its debates, compared to its normal role.

The failure to pass legislation produced a scapegoat, the Speaker of the House of Commons, who was struggling to control politicians who had lost their own sense of purpose.

The recent mockery of elected government shows the weakness of referenda and the value of parliamentary democracy, an institution that Britain gave to the world.

Derek Price

Thornhill, Cardiff

Pull the plug now and stay in the EU

So once again Theresa May has gone on bended knees to the rest of Europe to ask for an extension to Brexit. Unable to get the deal she negotiated through Parliament, she is reduced to grovelling.

The UK is a laughing stock around the world – we have a Government unable to govern and an official opposition party which is divided. Never have the Labour and Conservative parties had so much in common – neither can state categorically what their position on Brexit is, and both are led by incompetents.

But fear not, riding to the rescue is the mighty Farage who, having seen his original Ukip party ripped apart, has now decided to make a shiny new one to play with, all of this being a game to him.

It is almost three years since the referendum which was won by the narrowest of margins by a leave campaign that was illegal and based on blatant lies.

In the interim the Government have done nothing but waste money on preparing for plans they did not even have in place.

Brexit has now been delayed until October and in the meantime we will be having European elections to choose our MEPs, which may come as a surprise for those leave voters who insisted we were being run by unelected bureaucrats.

It is time for the plug to be pulled on this whole disgraceful mess. Parliament are unable to sort it out and a general election wouldn’t help.

There are only two options – another referendum for the people to decide, or preferably let’s just pull the plug now and stay within the EU.

Cllr Mike Powell

Welsh Liberal Democrat, Trallwn, RCT

EU the fall guy for failed policies

The world GDP ranking is based on projection by the International Monetary Fund.

In 2019, the top 10 countries in nominal terms would be: United States, China, Japan, Germany, India, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Brazil and Canada.

So being a member of the EU hasn’t made us poor, in fact we are quite rich.

If readers notice, four of the top 10 are members of the European market.

So why were people so against being in the EU? Well the EU has been a fall guy for Tory and Labour’s failed policies in health and housing.

Andrew Nutt

Bargoed

The black hole on our doorstep

I ENJOY Mark Orders’ opening gambits in his sports reports. On Monday he reminded us of boxing promoter Don King’s advice that the secret of his success was to promote every event as if it was the second coming.

Now I treat everything in the media to do with Brexit as a roundabout, something to escape from swiftly and safely and without it upsetting my equilibrium. However, there is no avoiding the headlines, indeed as someone standing on the grassy knoll, the EU does appear suspiciously like that black hole that was all over the news last week: once trapped within its gravitational pull, there is no escape.

We know that only Greenland, far out on the fringe, has managed to escape the EU – or the EEC as it then was. What is intriguing though is a reminder of the constant: Greenland, with a population of some 56,000 – against the UK’s 66 million – voted to leave by 52%. Yes, human reasoning and behaviour can be read like a book – or a cookie – which is why Facebook is a money-making machine.

Whatever, if we do have another referendum, and the result remains the same, will it become known as the second going?

Huw Beynon

Llandeilo

Put folk art in our excellent museum

There are reports that an iconic piece of street art has again been vandalised. It used to be “replies on a postcard please” but this seems to be replies by JCB!

This is undoubtedly part of the folk history of Wales and fully deserves to be treated as such.

A slogan painted on a wall, but with a political and cultural significance which far outweighs its location and brevity.

We in Wales have an excellent folk museum at St Fagans where marvels of relocation and restoration work are done.

Is it beyond the wit or imagination of those with the power in Wales to see that this iconic piece of folk art, with its poignant associations, is put in a place where future generations might see it and remember that freedoms are not easily given and memories are often short without reminders of who we are and who we hope to be.

H Thomas

Neath

The Queen should dissolve Parliament

In informal conversations I find a surprising amount of support for petitioning the Queen to dissolve Parliament and appoint commissioners to conclude Brexit while calling for entirely new candidates for a general election.

If someone could, urgently, promote such a petition, it looks as if it might attract wide support.